Wrapping machine for stick candy



Aug. 31 1926.

E. L. SMITH ET AL WRAPPING MACHINE FOR STICK CANDY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNlg EgfR Filed Sept. 4,, 1923 AT TORNEYS Aug. 31,1926; 1,597,932

v E. L. SMITH ET AL WRAPPING MACHINE FOR STICK CANDY Filed Sept. 4, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 31, 1926.

UNITED- STATES I 1,597,932 PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER LOVELL SMITH, ARTHUR E. PHELON, AND PAUL LANGHAMMER, OF SPRING- FIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO PACKAGE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS WRAPPING MACHINE FOR STICK CANDY.

Application filed September 4, 1923. Serial No. 660,798.

This invention relates to an improvement in stick candy wrapping machines and has for its object the provision of a. machine which will rapidly and efficiently wrap articles, such as cylindrical sticks of candy, in paper wrappers, preferably secured by twisting the ends thereof.

Hard candy in round stick form-presents many difficulties in the way of wrapping the same by mechanical means, due to the fragile nature of the candy, and also to irregularity in size and shape of said sticks, even when of the same price grade. The-present improvement aims to provide a machine for accommodating sticks of such various sizes and shape as would likely be encountered within the same general price grade, and to handle such sticks for the wrapping operation in a manner sufficiently gentle to prevent breakage thereof.

More particularly, the present invention is an improvement upon the stick candy wrapping machine described and shown in the prior application filed by this applicant and another jointly October 18, 1920, Serial No. e17 ,741. In a general way, the operation of the presentmachine is similar to the machine of said prior. application and may be briefly outlined as follows. The candy sticks, usually of round cylindrical form,

are contained in a hopper which is provid-,

ed with suitable agitating means, not herein shown, for causing the sticks to be directed continuously into a downwardly directed spout. Suitable escapement devices are provided to release one stick at a time from the outlet of said spout. A feed pusher engages each stick after it issues from said spout outlet and advances the same against a wrap-' per, which by suitable wrapper supply mechanism is presented across the path of said stick, and said feed pusher continues to advance said stick and wrapper into a tucking channel so as to partially wrap the wrapper around the stick. Tucking mechanism then starts the wrapper for a rolling operation around the stick, which rolling operation is effected by suitable rolling means'into which the stick and wrapper are subsequently advanced. During the rolling operation, portions of the wrapper which extend beyond each end of the stick, are engaged by end twisters for twisting the same and thus securing the wrapper permanently, around the stick. From the rolling means the wrapped sticks are delivered to a suitable discharge chute or platform.

Referring to the drawings which show the preferred embodiment of the invention- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine omitting such features as will be understood from reference to said prior application, above mentioned;

Fig.2 is a detail section through the feed spout extending from the hopper;

Fig. 3 is a detail view in side elevation of the tucking channel and wrapping bed;

Fig. 4 is a detail section along line 4+4 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a section along line 5-5 of Fig. 3'looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged .detail "of the twisting members;

Fig. 7 is a detail section along line 7-7 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the ar- Fig. 9 is a view in perspective of one of the sticks with the twisted end of said wraper. P Referring more particularly to drawings, the main frame of the machine indicated at 1 has suitably mounted thereon various drive shafts and cam shafts for operating the parts of the machine as disclosed in said prior case above referred to, it being thought unnecessary to disclose said driving parts in any greater detail in the present case than herein shown.

Referring to Fig. 1, the rear end of the hopper is indicated at 2, it being understood that said hopper is designed to contain a plurality of sticks to be wrapped and to feed the same continually to a, downwardly directed spout 3. Below the outlet of said spout is mounted a receiver 4, pivoted at 5 on the main frame, and having a sprlng 6 connected to one end thereof to normally hold the receiving end of the same upwardly in yielding position toward said spout outlet.

reciprocating the rod 8 are not shown, but may be of any suitable character such as shown in said prior application referred to.

Upon the bracket 9 forming the forward wall of said spout 3, is a rocking shaft 10 carrying a stop member 11 having a lower hook portion 12 extending through an opening in said spout wall into the spout passageway, for the purpose of engaging sticks and controlling the passage thereof throughsaid assageway, as hereinafter described. Fixed upon the shaft 10 of said stop member 11 is an operating lever 13 adapted to be actuated b alug 14 on said feed pusher 7 when the eed push-er is in its advanced position, and preferably near the end of its forward stroke. A spring 15. also connects said lever 13 with said main frame to normally hold the stop lever 11 in the position shown in Fig. 2, whereby it engages a stick in said spout and stops the flow of sticks to the receiver 4.. v

The pusher 7 carries on its upper surface a soft resilient pad of rubber or the like 17,

which pad lies directly beneath the spout outlet when said pusher is at the end of its forward stroke. Just previous to reaching the end of said forward stroke. the lug 14 carried on said pusher 7 engages lever 13 to release a stick from said spout and allow the same to drop onto said pad 17. Upon the backward movement of said pusher 7, stop member 11'is returned by its springs 15 into engagement with the following stick in said spout, as shown in Fig. 2, and the previously released stick S is dropped from the upper surface of said feed pusher 7 upon the yieldingly mounted receiver 4.

The feed pusher 7 is designed to thrust the stick with a wrapper in advance thereof into a tucking channel, which is formed with a bottom 18 and top 40. The tucking channel is preferably arranged in a convexly curved path as shown and leads tangentially into a concavely curved wrapping bed, as hereinafter described. Suitable wrapper supply and feeding mechanism, as described in said previous application, is provided to introduce a wrapper W between the, mouth of said tucking channel and the outlet of said spout for engagement by said stick as it is advanced into said tucking channel. The bottom of said tucking channel is formed -preferably of spaced slat-like members 18,

18 and 18",Wl1i0l1 are secured at their rear ends to a cross-bar 19. Preferably two of said slat bottom members 18 and 18" are extended forwardly, as shown in Fig. 4, into cylindrically curved members 20 and 20',

which together form a cylindrically curved wrapping bed. The portions 20 and 20 are preferably provided with upper surfaces of soft yielding material, such as leather or the like 21 and 21. A transverse tie rod 22 connects the bottom members 18. 18, and 18 and the bed members 20 and 20' so that said channel bottom and wrapping bed preferably move as a unit, as hereinafter described.

Preferably, a floating support is provided for said channel bottom and bed whereby the same may yield downwardly or laterally, and tilt in any direction. The purpose of such a floating support for the tucking channel and wrapping bed is to permit a yielding, yet substantially uniform pressure upon the stick and wrapper while passing therethrough, and thus make possible a substantially uniform wrapping action on sticks of various shapes and sizes, without breakage. this character are not all of the same size, nor are they of uniform diameter from end to end. Irregularities appear on the surface of the sticks due to methods of manufacture. Some sticks are tapered and some have bulges or lumps on the surface thereof. A rigid and unyielding wrapping means for such sticks would obviously break some sticks and fail to wrap others properly.

In the present preferred embodiment, the floating support for the channel bottom and wrapping bed is provided by two spaced points of support, near one end, and a single point of support remote therefrom and approximately at the middle of said entire assembly, so as to provide in effect a three point support capable of tilting and yielding in any direction. The cross-bar 19 at the rear. end of said channel bottom is connected to two laterally spaced links 23 and 23'. As shown in Fig. 7, the links 23 and 23 pass downwardly through the cushion boxes 24 and 24' and extend slidably through an equalizer bar 25. Stop nuts 26 and 26 are fastened to the lower ends of said links 23 and 23 to limit upward movement thereof, and it is understood that said links may slide freely through said equalizer bar in a downward direction. Also, said links 23 and 23' have a loose or sloppy connection at their upper ends to said bar 19, as well as at their lower ends to the equalizer bar 25/ A rod 27 is likewise connected to said bar 25 in a loose manner and permitting upward sliding movement therethrough while at its lower end, said rod 27 extends through the outer end of an actuating lever 28. Stop nuts 29 are secured to the lower end of said rod 27 to limit its upward movement and the connection to said actuating lever 28 is such that the rod 27 may slide freely downwardly therethrough as well as tilt therein. Cushion boxes, such as 24, similar in construction are provided at the three points of support and said box 24 comprises a casing firmly fastened to the main frame 1 for housing a coil spring such as 30, which presses upwardly upon a shoulder 31 of said link 23, thus tending at all times to keep said link and connected portion in upper posi- It is well known that sticks of fastened to said tie rod 22, and the lower end to a slidable rod 33, which extends downwardly through a similar cushion box 34. The lower end of said rod 33 is provided with a stop nut 35 permitting downward sliding movement, but limiting the upward movement thereof. A spring 36 housed in the casing 34 presses upwardly at all times against a shoulder of the rod 33 tending to hold this portion of the channel bottom and bed in upper position. It will be understood from the devices and connections described that the channel bottom 18 and wrapping bed 20 may both yield downwardly and rock or tilt in'any direction with equal freedom.

The top of said tucking channel is preferably formed by a series of spaced inde pendently movable slats, such. as 40, which are somewhat loosely fastened at the rear ends to a crossbar 38, fixed to a part 37 of the main frame and have their forward ends 39 either unsupported, as shown, or yieldingly supported, as may be desired. The slats 40 are of yielding nature and are designed to press downwardly with yielding pressure upon the sticks" passing through the tucking channel, but to give way indel pendently of each other upon encountering any unusual conditions-in the shape or size of the stick.

The yielding receiver 4 is preferably connected, as shown, by link 41 to said actuating lever 28, said link 41 having free sliding movement in a downward direction through said actuating lever. Stop nuts 41' on said link 41 limit the upward sliding movement thereof through said lever 28. The actuating lever'28 is pivoted at 42 upon the main frame and carries at its rear end a roll 43 actuated by cam 44 rotatable on a shaft 45 mounted in the main frame. The cam 44 and actuating lever 28 are designed to periodically and temporarily pull down the forward part of receive'r4 and the rear end of said channel bottom 18. This lowering of said receiver'and channel bottom is arranged to take place at the time the feed pusher 7 begins the advance of a stick with a wrapper into said tucking channel and the purpose thereof is to relieve the stick of the necessity of forcing its way between the and a stop 48 on the main frame is also provided to limit the upward movement of the forward end of said lever 28.

The tucking means for-starting the wrapper around the stick and for advancing the same through the tuckingchannel are similar in all respectsto'that-described in said previous application. The tucker 49 is fixed to an arm 50 which is pivotally mounted at 51 upon a bell crank lever 52, said lever in turn being pivoted at 53 upon the main frame. A reciprocating link 54 is connected at 55 with the lower end ofsaid arm 50 and it will be understood that the bell crank lever is given a suitable rock movement, "and the link 54 is simultaneously reciprocated by a suitable cam so as to impart to arm 50 and tucker 49a compound movement, the resulting path of which is approximately elliptical, as described in said previous application referred to.

The rolling member for rolling a wrapper around the stick and along said wrapping bed, preferably comprising a pair of segmental disk members 56 and 56, fixed to a rotating shaft 57. The outer --peripheral edges of said segmental members 56, and 56 preferably carry soft yielding engaging material, such as rubber hose pipe 57 and 57. Also mounted upon said rotating shaft 57,

one at each side of said segmenal members 56 and 56', are segmental flange plates 58 and 58, each having an outer cylindrical edge surface 59 projecting slightly beyond the surface of the members 56 and 56'. The flange plates 58 and 58 are designed to cooperate with suitable spring fingers 60 and 60 to effect the end twists of the extended portions of the wrapper and thus constitutethe end twisting mechanism. The spring fingers 60 and 60 are preferably mounted one at each side of said wrapping bed in a manner shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and are curved to conform to th path along said bed 20. The curved finger 60 is secured to a hub 61 rockable on bearing 62 carried at the rear end of bracket arm 66 fixed to the main frame. A coil spring 63 normally tends to throw said finger 60 upwardly, such movement being limited by stop lugs 64, and 65 on the hub 61 and bracket 66, respectively.

The stick and wrapper upon being advanced through the tucking channel by the tucker 49 is subsequently engaged by the rolling members. 56 and 56 for rolling the wrapper around the stick along said bed 20. At the time of the rolling action, the flange plates 58 and 58 cooperating with the fingers 60, and 60 serve to twist the ends of the wrapper, and the fully wrapped stick is finally rolled out and delivered upon an inclined delivery chute 67 into the condition shown in Fig. 8.

W'hile we have shown and described with some particularity my improvement in an embodiment at present preferred by us, it is to be understood that various changes in detail of design and arrangement of parts may readily be made without departing from the substance and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims 1. In a wrapping machine for stick candy and the like in combination, a curved wrapping bed, a rolling member having a cylindrical engaging surface to roll a. wrapper around a stick along said bed, the bottom of said bed having a floating support.

2. In a wrapping machine for stick candy and the like in combination, a curved wrapping bed, a rolling member having a cylindrical engaging surface to roll a wrapper around a stick along said bed, a tucking channel leading to said bed, the bottom of said channel and said bed having a floating support.

3. In a wrapping machine for stlck candy and the like in combination, a curved wrapping bed, a rolling member having a cylindrical engaging surface to roll a wrapper around a stick along said bed, a tucking channel leading to said bed, the bottomof said channel and said bed havlng a floating support, the top of said channel comprising spaced slats independently mounted for separate yieldingmovement.

4. In a wrapping machine for stick candy and the like in combination, a curved wrapping bed, a rolling member having a cylindrical engaging surface to roll a wrapper around a stick along said bed, a tucking channel leading to said bed, the bottom of said channel and said bed having a three point floating support.

5. In a wrapping machine for stick candy and the like in combination, a curved wrapping bed, a rolling member having a cylindrical engaging surface to roll a wrapper around a stick along said bed, a tucking channel leading to said bed, means for tucking a wrapper about a stick while passing through said channel, the bottom of said channel and said bed having a three point floating support.

6. In a wrapping machine for stick candy and. the like in combination, a curved wrapping bed, a rolling member having a cylindrical engaging surface to roll a wrapper around a stick along said bed, a tucking channel leading to said bed, the-bottom of said channel and said bed havingv a three point floating support comprising single rockable and yieldable support at one point and two'laterally spaced rockable and yieldable supports remote from the first named support.

7. In a wrapping machine for stick candy and the like in combination, a curved wrapping bed, a rolling member having a cylindrical engaging surface to roll a wrapper around a stick along said bed, a tuckling channel leading to said bed, the bottom of said channel and said bed having athree point floating support comprising single rockable and yieldable support at one point and two laterally spaced rockable and yieldable supports remote from the first named support, the top of said channel comprising spaced .slats supported at one end for seplar'ate yielding movement at their free cm s.

8. In a wrapping machine for stick candy and the like in combination, a curved wrapping bed, a rolling member having a cylindrical engaging surface to roll a wrapper around a stick along said bed, a tucking channel leading to said bed, means for tucking a wrapper about a stick while passing through said channel, the bottom of said channel and said bed .having a three point floating support comprising a single rockable and yieldable support at one point and two laterally spaced roekable and yieldable supports remote from the first named support.

9. In a wrapping machine for stick candy and the like in combination, a curved wrapping bed, a rolling member having a cylindrical engaging surface to roll a wrapper around a stick along said bed, end twisters for laterally extended portions of said wrapper comprising a ,yieldingly mounted finger at thev side of said bed, and a cooperating rolling flange at the side of said roller member and moving therewith.

10. In a wrapping machine for stick candy and the like in combination, a curved wrapping bed, a rolling member having a cylindrical engaging surface to roll a wrapper around a stick alon said bed, end twisters for laterally exten ed portions of said wrapper comprising a yieldingly mounted finger at the side of said bed, and a cooperating rolling flange at the side of said roller member and moving therewith, said rolling flange projecting beyond the surface of said roller member. for engaging the extended portions of said wrapper.

11. In a wrapping machine for stick candy and the like in combination, a curved wrapping bed, a rolling member mounted on a rotating shaft having a cylindrical engaging surface to roll a wrapper around a stick along said bed, end twisters for extended portions of said wrapper comprising a yieldingly mounted finger at the side of said bed, and a cooperating rolling flange mounted on said rotating shaft at the side of said roller member and moving therewith.

12. In: a wrapping machine for stick candy and the like in combination, a curved wrapping bed, a rolling member having a cylindrical engaging surface to roll a wrapper around a stick along said bed, a tucking channel leading to said bed, means for tuckthe same through said channel, the bottom of said channel and said bed having a'floating support, end twisters for extended portions of said wrapper comprising a yield-' ingly mounted finger at the side of said bed,

and a cooperating rolling flange at the side of said roller memberan'd moving there with, said rolling flange projecting beyond the surface of said roller member for engaging the extended portions o f said wrapbottom of said channel and said bed hav-' ing a floating support, end twisters for extended portions of said wrapper comprising a yieldingly mounted finger at the side of said-bed,- a cooperating rolling flange at the side of said roller member and moving therewith, said rolling flange projecting beyond the surface of said roller member for engaging the extended portions of said wrapper, a feed spout for supplyin stricks v to be wrapped, a yieldingly mounte receiver adjacent said feed spout outlet, a pusher reciprocable past said feed spout outlet for advancing a stick and wrapper into said tucking channel, and means for depressing said receiver and said channel bottom during the advancing movement. of said pusher.

14. In a wrapping machine for stick candy and the like in combination, means for rolling a stick in a wrapper, a tucking channel leading to said rolling means, a feed spout for supplying sticks to be wrapped a pusher reciprocable past said spout outlet for delivering sticks to said tucking chan nel, a receiver yieldingly mounted below said spout outlet, the bottom of said tucking channel being yieldably mounted, and

ing a wrapper about a stick and advancing means for depressing said receiver and channel bottom during the advancing movement of said pusher comprising an actuating arm and separate connections from said arm to said receiver and channel bottom respectively.

15. In a wrapping machine for stick candy and the like in combination, means for rolling a stick in a wrapper, a tucking channel leading to said rolling means, a feed spout for supplying sticks to be wrapped, a pusher reciprocable past said spout outlet for delivering sticks to said tucking channel, a receiver yieldingly mounted below said spout outlet, the bottom of said tucking channel being yieldably mounted, and means for depressing said receiver and said channel bottom during the advancing 'movement of said pusher comprising an actuating arm and separate connections from said arm to said receiver and channel bottom respectively, said connections being arranged to permit separate downward movement of said receiver and channel bottom independently of said actuating arm.

'16. In a wrapping machine for stick candy and the like in combination, a wrapping bed, a rolling member having a oylindrical engaging surface to roll a wrapper around a stick along said bed, the bottom of said channel having portions that are independently yieldableL 17 In a wrapping machine for stick candy and the like in combination, a wrapping bed, a rolling member having a cylindrical engaging surface to-roll a wrapper around a stick along said bed, a tucking channel leading to said bed, the bottom of said channel and said bed having. portions that are yieldable independently of one another.

In testimony whereof we have aflixed our signatures.

ELMER LOVELL SMITH. ARTHUR E. PI-IELON. PAUL LANGHAMMER. 

